By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Remember the name Jake Brennan.

We’re not sure if he’s any relation to Walter Brennan star of the TV show, The Real McCoys, but Jake is the real deal.

The minor bantam was named the adult player of the year at the annual OBA convention in Sault Ste. Marie to join some of the province’s best on the honor roll. Former winners to go play pro include Mike Kusiewicz, Shawn Pearson, Scott Thorman, Chris Emanuele, Chris Robinson, Jamie Romak, Robert Cooper, Larry Balkwill and Josh Naylor.

Brennan, Jake that is, not Walter, starred for the Barrie Red Sox IronKids Gummies Vitamins this summer. He led his team in every offensive category hitting a real fine .409 to go with 26 doubles, 50 RBIs and 24 steals.  

On the mound, he had a 1.97 ERA with 97 strikeouts for the season. 

When not at the park, well he spent his time at the park ... attending the two-week Barrie Baycats camp as a volunteer to work with younger players in the area. 

Before earning OBA player of the year honors he also won both the Barrie Minor Baseball Rep Player of the Year (Bantam & Above) and York Simcoe Baseball Association Player of the Year (Bantam & Above).  
 
Barrie won their own 10-teams annual tournament with a 4-2 victory over the Oakville A’s, an 11-5 win over the Innisfil Cardinals, a 15-1 decision over the Burlington Bulls, the Guelph Royals 11-2 in the semi-final and then an 11-1 triumph over Oakville in the final. Brennan hit a grand slam to deep right-centre to blow the game open early.

And Barrie won the London Badgers tourney as well. The Red Sox blanked the Mississauga Southwest Twins, scored an 11-1 victory over the Peterborough Tigers, lost 6-3 to the Vaughan Vikings, scored an 8-4 win over the LaSalle Titans as Brennan had two hits and two RBIs and in the final the Red Sox beat the Mississauga Majors 9-3 in the final as Brennen pitched three innings, fanning seven of the 11 batters he faced.

Ajax’s Colin Mandarich won the Player Of The Year Pee Wee & Down honor.

Nickname: We remember years ago working at the Kingston Whig-Standard having a discussion with an older writer. He was angry because the team, a very good softball team, had the nickname: Ruth’s Hats

I agreed it was a dumb nickname, but it was the team sponsor ... how there might not be a team if it was not for a store Ruth owned that sold hats. Like the Green Bay Packers are named after a meat packing company.

Anyway typing IronKids Gummies Vitamins reminded me of Ruth’s Hats. But if IronKids Gummies Vitamins is the sponsor of the team there might not be a team in Barrie if not for IronKids Gummies Vitamins ... so we don’t mind typing IronKids Gummies Vitamins, no matter how odd it is to type IronKids Gummies Vitamins.

Naylor run continues: Mississauga North bantams which won Ontario and national titles earned team of the year and their coach, Chris Naylor, was named coach of the year for bantam and up.

Naylor’s sons Josh and Noah won the player of the year for peewee and below in 2010 and 2013, respectively. Josh become the highest Canadian position player drafted when the Miami Marlins chose him 12th overall in June.

2015 Award Winners: 
Coach Of The Year PeeWee & Down    Aaron Gilmoure     Peterborough, EOBA
Coach Of The Year Bantam & Up    Chris Naylor     Mississauga, COBA

Player Of The Year Pee Wee & Down    Colin Mandarich     Ajax, EOBA
Player Of The Year Bantam & Up    Jacob Brennan     Barrie, YSBA

Fergie Jenkins Pitcher Of The Year Pee Wee & Down    Brady Wagenhoffer     Newmarket, YSBA
Fergie Jenkins Pitcher Of The Year Bantam & Up    Stephen Teno     Windsor, SPBA
   
Jack Middlemass Award Volunteer Of The Year    David Doherty     Brampton, COBA
Team Of The Year    Mississauga North Bantam Tigers     COBA
   
Dick Willis Junior Umpire Of The Year    Natalie Shears     Markham, YSBA
Dick Willis Senior Umpire Of The Year    Taylor McKnight     Barrie, YSBA
Don Gilbert Umpire Of The Year    Csaba Vegh     Toronto, TBA

Barrie Salt Award Director Of The Year    Allan Ebert/David Black     WCBA/TBA
   
President’s Award    Sean O’Brien     Innisfil, YSBA
   
Association Of The Year    YSBA

Hello Mr. President: David Huctwith (Mississauga, Ont.) returns as president of Baseball Ontario. He vice-president from 1994-1999 and from 2005 until 2014.

The first vice-president is Ed Quinlan (Cambridge) and the second vice-president is Allan Ebert (Sarnia).

The board consists of Jeffrey Albaum (Richmond Hill), Dirk Drieberg (Vaughan), Tony Jasinski (Mississauga), Cathy Lamarucciola (Vaughan), Glenn Ostrosser (Stoney Creek) and Justin Snively (London).
 
The Select Directors are David Black, Patrick McConnell and Wayne Turgeon

Former OBA players of the year:
Year Junior and Senior Players of the Year
1994 Chris Green Mike Kusiewicz
1995 Paul Brown Shawn Pearson
1996 Dan Hansen Doug Vandecaveye
1997 Scott Thorman Jason Mandryk
1998 Bradley Gould Patrick Nailer

1999 Chris Emanuele Tanner Watson
2000 Derek Lowe BJ Richardson
2001 Dan Zehr Chris Robinson
2002 Kate Psota Jamie Romak
2003 Ian Choy Cherie Piper

2004 Trevor Barton Davey Wallace
2005 Cain Monaghan Kevin Long
2006 Tanner Nivins Greg Densem
2007 McCalla Sturgeon Robert Cooper
2008 Geoffrey Seto Larry Balkwill

2009 Nicholas Dimpfel Ryan Zimmer
2010 Josh Naylor Jake Lumley
2011 Connor May Byron Reichstein
2012 Jason Stott Matt Smith
2013 Noah Naylor Justin Gideon

2014 Noah Roberts, Zachary Fascia
2015 Colin Mandarich, Jake Brennan